I sense the Lord saying to many of us in transition: "Watch for the exit signs this season along major highways." This could mean a significant change of direction or a minor adjustment in our lives and ministry. Major highways speed up our traveling, but exits take us to our destination. Could it be that the Lord is calling many of us off of the highways and to the byways, to take our hands off the steering wheels of our ministry to get our hands on the harvest?
Knowing and learning the “War Manual” (The Bible) will give you the confidence, strategy and victory over the enemy. The Apostle Paul wrote this to his spiritual son Timothy to encourage Him in how to war from victory and not in fog and confusion; 1 Timothy 1:18-20
This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, 20 among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.
“As you seek Me and yield to My ways, I am bringing you into new days of boldness and courage. I have been forging you deeply in the fire, My Refiner's fire has been hot, but as you have yielded to My fire, I have been deeply establishing and forming your character, I have been purifying your heart and I have been establishing you in greater maturity as you have yielded to My process and My fire. For those that have yielded to My fire and My process in the past seasons, I am causing you to arise in these days with greater strength in Me from the place of deep dependency upon Me, to release My voice with greater boldness and courage. In the fire I have been forging you and I have been delivering you from the fear of man as you have been encountering Me and My Majesty and walking in reverent awe of who I am.
This past Wednesday, February 18th was the beginning of the 40 days of Lent. Lent is a 40-day (excluding Sundays) Christian liturgical season of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving starting on Ash Wednesday and ending before Easter. It serves as a period of repentance, spiritual reflection and preparation for the celebration of Christ’s resurrection, representing the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness.
The Lord desires to bring us from a friendship into a deep intimate walk with Him. It is only in that place of total commitment that He can truly do the work of refining that He desires. The Apostle John known as “John the beloved” knew this true commitment perhaps more than any other of the disciples. After the rest of the disciples fled from Jesus after His arrest in the garden, John followed the Lord closely and was with Jesus every step of the way including being at the cross-witnessing Jesus’ crucifixion.
Running the Race: In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Paul exhorts believers to run in such a way that they "get the prize," comparing the Christian journey to a race requiring intense dedication.
· “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
In scripture water, plays a very important role in both the natural and the spiritual. Water is a powerful and multi-dimensional theme, appearing more than 500 times from the opening verses of Genesis to the final chapter of Revelation. It is portrayed as a tool of creation, a means of judgment, and a profound symbol of spiritual life. Beyond its physical form, water represents spiritual renewal and the Holy Spirit.
With the pending snow/ice storm headed our way for this weekend, I recorded a Podcast on “Cornerstonefrederick” on YouTube or “Cornerstone Fellowship” on Rumble. The topic is a Pastor’s perspective on the new revelations from Mike Winger concerning the moral failures concerning the NAR. The leaders of the movement new of the moral failures and never did anything sufficient enough to protect the “flock”.
It’s hard to forgive when you’ve been hurt deeply. Granting forgiveness is not excusing what happened. Forgiveness is about freeing your heart from carrying the weight any longer. It’s about being free to hear His voice and focusing on the task at hand. Finally it’s about closing ranks and not giving the enemy of our souls free reign to destroy our unity and keeping us in bondage. Here is the power of oneness; Matthew 18:19-20
Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
Joel 2:18-19 Then the Lord became jealous for his land and had pity on his people. The Lord answered and said to his people,“Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations
Isaiah 43 is a significant chapter in the Old Testament, focusing on themes of God's redemption, protection, and the promise of new things for His people. It offers comfort through divine assurances, challenges idolatry, and while rebuking Israel’s unfaithfulness, promises free forgiveness.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
May this promise be comfort to those of you you may be facing first Christmases away from loved ones who have gone on to be with him. Know that he will never leave you or forsake you and that he has given you Holy Spirit whose name is “Comforter” to be with you.
In Leviticus 1:2 the word qarab is used for BRINGING a sacrifice to the Lord for the PURPOSE of drawing near for Gods DIVINE intervention!
Drawing near or ‘coming together’ is more than simply a gathering of Believers….IT has BECOME A COMMAND from the Lord to take our current situation as Believers, seriously and deal with compromise, the flesh and casual obedience within our own lives and the lives of others and present ourselves as living a SACRIFICE to the Lord!!!
The Lord showed me : This prophetic word is not about what you did, but about who you became in that season. You didn’t allow bitterness to stain you. You didn’t let offense shrink you. You didn’t allow the atmosphere around you to contaminate the atmosphere within you. You showed character in a room that never recognized your character. You honored God in a place that did not honor you.
The Lord is not simply a giver of things that we need, He is the source and sustainer of life and everything in our lives. He has an ultimate purpose for everything. Every situation unlocks another mystery of His heart toward us who follow Him. Instead of just focusing on all the good things He does for us on just one day during the calendar year, let’s make every day of the year a day of “gratitude” for not just what He does for us but more importantly, worshipping Him for who He is, The Master and Creator of all that exists and the lover of our souls.
From a spiritual perspective, we realize God has a purpose for everything that He allows to come into our lives. He is disciplining us according to Hebrews 12 to be conformed into the image of His Son, “Every son He receives, He disciplines”. James the half-brother of Jesus said it this way in his letter to believers scattered throughout Asis because of persecution, James 1:2-8 (ESV)
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
Tomorrow is a new day, and all in it is clean and refreshed. You can leave behind the past and move forward into a new future. It is easy if you believe. All things are possible to those who do. I will surely be beside you every step as I lead you into a future that is bright and holy. This is the time of the great awakening of My children to what I have told them all along. They will see that I am who I say I am and do what I said I’d do. Everything will change, and their walk will be that of truly secure children leaning on their Father. Amen.
I know I have said this before, but I am telling you now, it will be unlike anything you have ever experienced. I have built within you a core of strength that will not be moved, but you must rein in your mind as you see things you have never seen. It will not be your lack of faith in Me, but your senses will be heightened by all that will be coming at you in this world at once. Trust Me with all your heart that I have good for you and have not had you here on Earth to destroy you. You are My ambassadors of hope to a world in need of hope amidst the turmoil.
God is not limited by time; He created it. He sees your past, your present, and your future all at once. Nothing surprises Him, and nothing happens without His knowledge. We worry about tomorrow, but He already stands there waiting for us. He is Almighty, All-knowing, and Ever-present.
And here’s the miracle - even though He is infinite, His presence can be experienced in time, right now, right here, in your heart.
